Traffic bottlenecks are no fun at any time, whether you have 52 passengers seated in your motorcoach, each holding an airline reservation, or you’re a trucker with a deadline for delivering a load of freight.
Both are high-stress situations; both drivers are in the hot seat.
The trucker may have an overwrought dispatcher breathing down his neck, but the coach driver may have 52 irate individuals to cope and contend with.
Another difference is that truckers pay the American Transportation Research Institute to investigate traffic bottlenecks across the U.S., producing data that fleets can use either to avoid restricted roadways or shift their travel time.
Each year, ATRI produces a list of the worst bottlenecks, tracking the100 most-congested sections of American highways.
While the list and accompanying data are aimed at the trucking industry, there’s plenty of valuable information that motorcoach companies and their drivers can use.
ATRI assesses terabytes of GPS data from more than 600,000 heavy-duty trucks over the course of a year to produce its congestion impact ranking for each location. The data is used to determine the level of truck-oriented congestion at 250 locations on the national highway system.
Atlanta’s Spaghetti Junction has again topped the list as the worst bottleneck.
The full list of data, which is available on the ATRI website (http://atri-online.org), gives a comprehensive breakdown of each location, showing peak hours and areas of congestion on a map. The data also shows speeds at peak congestion compared with typical speeds without congestion.
The breakdown of data can be used by fleets to avoid congestion when possible, either by using alternate routes or by traveling at different times.
The data can also be a useful tool for determining U.S. highway infrastructure needs, allowing the government to pinpoint areas that need expansion or updating.
With a long-term infrastructure bill likely to be a top priority for President Trump and Congress, information on problem areas can help with funneling money where it is most needed.
The Chicago interchange where Interstate 290 meets Interstate 90 and 94 has moved down a slot since last year.
ATRI noted that the city has initiated a large construction project in the area to address the problem, partly because it was included on the list.
ATRI also quickly pointed out, however, that increased congestion in the top two positions of Atlanta and Fort Lee, N.J., were likely the cause of Chicago’s drop to No. 3.
“With President Trump expected to press for significant long-term infrastructure spending, this ATRI analysis should be a key guide for deciding what projects are worthy of funding,” said Chris Spear, president and CEO of the American Trucking Associations.
“This report draws attention to the places where our highway network needs improvement.”
The Top 10 bottlenecks in the U.S. are:
· I-285 at I-85 (North) in Atlanta
· I-95 at State Route 4 in Fort Lee, N.J.
· I-290 at I-90/94 in Chicago
· I-65 at I-64/71 in Louisville
· I-71 at I-75 in Cincinnati
· SR 60 at SR 57 in Los Angeles
· SR 18 at SR 167 in Auburn, Wash.
· I-45 at US 59 in Houston
· I-75 at I-285 North in Atlanta
· I-5 at I-90 in Seattle
To access the full report, including detailed information on each of the 100 top congested locations, go to http://atri-online.org/2017/01/17/2017-top-100-truck-bottleneck-list/.
